Artist Turns Stones Into Adorable Animals You Can Hold

January 27th, 2019

By Ashley Brewer

Contributor at Animal Channel

A Japanese artist who goes by the name of Stone Artist Akie is making art that is catching the attention of people across the world.

Stone Artist Akie, or Akie Nakata, is a name you should remember – their talent and creations are some of the most beautiful we’ve ever seen and it all starts with an inanimate item that you’d normally never think twice about. Small stones.

Chances are, if you’re hiking or camping near a river, there are numerous stones around that are just simply part of the scenery. Stones that are just ‘stones’ – nothing more, nothing less. But Akie seems something so much more.

“To me, stones are not simple materials or canvases for painting pictures on. Among all those numerous stones on a river bank, one stone, looking like an animal, catches my eye. When I find a stone, I feel that stone has found me too. Stones have their own intentions, and I consider my encounters with them as cues they give me it’s OK to go ahead and paint what I see on them,” she says.

Stone Artist Akie paints gorgeous and detailed animals on these seemingly ‘boring’ stones and transforms them into little ‘pets’ you can hold in your hand.

“Stones may fall outside our usual definition of living organisms, but when I think of the long time it takes for a stone to change from a huge boulder in the mountains to the size and shape it has, as rests in my palm, I feel the history of the earth that the stone has silently witnessed over the millennia, and I feel the story inside it. I feel the breath of a life inside each stone, so sometimes I paint while I talk to the stone as I hold it in my hand,” Akie states.

Let’s take a look at some of her incredible work. It will be hard to pick a favorite!

Information on where to purchase Akie’s work is below.

1. A sweet Golden Retriever

Isn’t it impressive how much detail Stone Artist Akie can achieve on what was once a river stone? You can see individual strands of fur and the gleam in the sweet dog’s eyes. The stone has come to life.

2. Baby blue bird

It’s hard to believe that this isn’t an actual little baby bird because Stone Artist Akie has completely brought this stone to life. The feathers look like you can reach out and feel their softness. Who knew a stone could be so cute?!

3. A little raccoon

Stone Artist Akie left some of the natural stone as it is to add a bit more to this piece. The precious raccoon appears to be lying on the stone while you cradle it in your hands. It even looks like the nose has a bit of real ‘wetness’ to it.

4. Mama owl and her babies

As if creating one animal out of a stone wasn’t impressive enough, how about three? It’s no problem at all for Stone Artist Akie. She sees a shape in the stone and her artistic mind starts flowing. In this particular stone, it seemed to be the perfect shape for a mother owl cradling her babies.

5. A timid little cat

Here’s another example of when Akie leaves the natural stone to speak for itself. This time, she found a pearly white stone and found that it would be the perfect color for a white cat’s fur. With a few added details, the wide-eyed cat comes to life.

8. Bright-eyed kitty cat

If you’re not allowed to have cats or you have allergies, perhaps one of Akie’s stone kitty cats will suffice? Her ability to create such intense details practically make the stone feel like it’s alive. Just look at that gaze!

10. Relaxed tiny mouse

How sweet is this tiny little white mouse? It’s truly hard to wrap your head around the fact that it’s actually just a stone underneath all that paint. It looks like this little mouse is as comfy as can be in the palm of her hand.

Want to see more of Stone Artist Akie’s work? Check out her Facebook page. Be sure to follow her to snag one of these pieces for yourself.

“I paint the eyes at the very end, and I consider my work completed only when I see that the eyes are now alive and looking back straight at me. To me, completing a piece of work is not about how much detail I draw, but whether I feel the life in the stone,” describes Akie.